Chronometer mechanism



15, 1967 o. VON AESCH ETAL 3,319,415

CHRONOMETER MECHANI SM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1965 FIG.1

IF'IG.2

y 1 967 0. VON AESCH ETAL 3,319,415

CHRONOMETER MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 5, 1965 3 SheetsSheet 2 o. vbN AESCHETAL 3,319,415

May 16, 1967 CHRONOMETER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 5, 1965FIGS United States Patent Oflice 3,319,415 Patented May 16, 1967 Thisinvention relates to novel chronometer mech anisms.

Well known are chronometer mechanisms comprising a winding mechanismwith a clutch-wheel and pull-out setting-lever the stem of which can beput into three different positions; namely, winding, setting of time,and setting of date or date correcting. But in these mechanisms thewinding-mechanism has a clutch-lever or, if it has a clutch-wheel andpull-out setting lever, this clutchwheel has three toothed gears, thepurpose of one of which is to correct the date.

According to this invention, there is provided in a chronometercomprising a driving mechanism, a hand setting mechanism, a date settingmechanism, a winding stem and a winding pinion, the winding pinion beingmounted on the winding stem, a mechanism alternatively adjustable to awinding position, a hand setting position and a date setting position.

In one embodiment of the invention, the adjustable mechanism comprises afirst lever having a free end, first lever engaging means defined on thestem for engagement with the free end of the first lever, the firstlever being juxtaposed to the first lever engaging means with its freeend abutting the first lever engaging means, a second lever having afree end, second lever engaging means defined on the stem for engagementwith the second lever, the second lever being juxtaposed to the secondlever engaging means with its free end abutting the second leverengaging means, clutch means mounted on the stem for engagement with thehand setting mechanism and a date setting pinion mounted on the stem forengagement with the date setting mechanism, the levers defining meansfor mutual engagement.

The adjustable mechanism may be adjusted to its winding position bylongitudinally positioning the stem so that the winding pinion isengaged with the drive mechanism, the clutch means is unengaged with thehand setting mechanism and the date setting pinion is unengaged with thedate setting mechanism. The adjustable mechanism may be adjusted to itshand setting position by longitudinally positioning the stem so that thefirst and second levers mutually engage and the second lever is urged bythe first lever to abut against the clutch means and the clutch meansthereby is urged into engagement with the hand setting mechanism, thewinding pinion is disengaged from the drive mechanism and the datesetting pinion remains unengaged with the date setting mechanism. Theadjustable mechanism may be adjusted to its date setting position'by'longitudinally positioning the stem so that the abutting relation ofthe first and sec ond levers is changed to disengage the hand settingpinion from the hand setting mechanism, the date setting pinion isengaged with the date setting mechanism and the winding pinion remainsunengaged with the winding mechanism.

The first lever engaging means may comprise a circular groove defined inthe periphery of the stem. The second lever engaging means may beoperatively con nected to the clutch means. Furthermore, the operativeconnection may be effected by providing that the second lever engagingmeans be integral with said clutch means. Preferably, the adjustablemechanism according to this invention further includes stop means tohold the mechanism in adjustment in any one of the positions.

According to a specific embodiment of this invention, the operation ofsetting or connecting the date is done by means of a pinion mounted on asquare portion of the winding stem at a point above that at which thepull-out setting lever is connected to this stem; and this pinion restsupon this pull-out lever, which raises it to its date setting position,while at the same time it moves the clutch-Wheel into a neutral positionby cooperating with a second lever, namely, a clutch-lever.

The attached drawing gives, by way of example, a working embodiment ofthis invention.

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view and FIGURE 2 shows a section cut along thecenter-line of a chronometer mechanism according to this invention, inthe winding position.

FIGURES 3 and 4, and 5 and 6, show the same views of the same mechanismas in FIGURES 1 and 2 but FIGURES 3 and 4 show the hand setting positionand FIGURES 5 and 6 show the date setting position.

In these figures, the winding stem 1 is shown in its three axiallydisplaced positions; the winding and hand setting mechanism includes, asis customary, the clutchwheel 2 driven by the clutch-lever 3 which issubject to the upward bias of the spring 4; 9 is the pull-outsettinglever held in one of its three successive positions by the jumper11 and acting upon the clutch-lever 3; 10 is the hand settingintermediate wheel which is part of a conventional hand settingmechanism (not shown), and 5 is the winding-pinion which in the positionshown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 engages a conventional drive mech anism (notshown) for winding of said mechanism; the pull-out setting-lever isconnected to the Winding stem in the usual fashion, by means of a head12 engaged in a circular groove in this stem.

Above the pull-out setting-lever the winding stem has a square part 7upon which the pinion 6 is fitted, forming, along with the band 14, theusual circular groove into which the head 12 of the pull-outsetting-lever fits.

When one pulls up the stem to change from the wind ing position to thehand setting position, then from the latter to the date correctingposition, each time, the pull.- out setting-lever lifts up the pinion 6,finally bringing it into the third position, in mesh with a set of teeth15 in the part 8 bearing the date indications, part 8 with its set ofteeth 15 comprising a date setting mechanism.

Also, when one pulls up the stem to move the mechanism from the windingposition to the hand setting position, lever 9 moves into abutmentagainst lever 3 and urges lever 3 downward thus moving clutch-wheel 2into engagement with hand setting intermediate wheel 11 andsimultaneously moving winding pinion 5 out of engagement with the drivemechanism. And, when one pulls up the stem further to change themechanism from the hand setting position to the date setting position,lever 9 is moved relative to lever 3 to permit the free end of lever 3to rise to cause clutch wheel 2 to move upward somewhat and therebydisengage from hand setting intermediate wheel 10.

While the invention has been described with particular reference tospecific embodiments, it is to be understood that the scope of theinvention is to be determined by reference to the claims appended heretoand that all obvious variations and modifications within the spirit ofthe invention are intended to be encompassed within the scope of theclaims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. In a chronometer comprising a driving mechanism, a hand settingmechanism, a date setting mechanism,

a winding stem having a square part, a winding pinion, said windingpinion being counted on said part, a mechanism alternatively adjustableto a winding position, a hand setting position and a date settingposition, said adjustable mechanism comprising a first lever having afree end, first lever engaging means defined on said stern forengagement with the free end of said first lever, said lever engagingmeans comprising a circular groove defined in the periphery of saidstem, said first lever being juxtaposed to said first lever engagingmeans with its free end abutting said first lever engaging means, asecond lever having a free end, second lever engaging means defined onsaid stem for engagement with said second lever, said second lever beingjuxtaposed to said second lever engaging means, with its free endabutting said second lever engaging means, clutch means mounted on saidstem for engagement with the hand setting mechanism, said second leverengaging means being operatively connected to said clutch means, and adate setting pinion mounted on the stem for engagement with the datesetting mechanism, said levers defining means formutual engagement,whereby the adjustable mechanism may be adjusted to its Winding positionby longitudinally positioning the stem so that the winding pinion isengaged with the drive mechanism, the clutch means is unengaged with thehand setting mechanism and the date setting pinion is unengaged with thedate setting mechanism, the adjustable mechanism may be adjusted to itshand setting position by longitudinally positioning the stem so that thepositioning the stem so that the abutting relation of the first andsecond levers is changed to disengage the hand setting pinion from thehand setting mechanism, the date setting pinion is engaged with the datesetting mechanism and the winding pinion remains unengaged with thewinding mechanism.

2. An adjustable chronometer mechanism according to claim 1, whereinsaid second lever engaging means is integral with said clutch means. i

3. An adjustable chronometer mechanism according to claim 2, furtherincluding stop means to hold said mechanism in adjustment in any one ofsaid positions.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 372,983 12/ 1963Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

G. G. BAKER, M. L. LORCH, Assistant Examiners.

1. IN A CHRONOMETER COMPRISING A DRIVING MECHANISM, A HAND SETTINGMECHANISM, A DATE SETTING MECHANISM, A WINDING STEM HAVING A SQUAREPART, A WINDING PINION, SAID WINDING PINION BEING COUNTED ON SAID PART,A MECHANISM ALTERNATIVELY ADJUSTABLE TO A WINDING POSITION, A HANDSETTING POSITION AND A DATE SETTING POSITION, SAID ADJUSTABLE MECHANISMCOMPRISING A FIRST LEVER HAVING A FREE END, FIRST LEVER ENGAGING MEANSDEFINED ON SAID STEM FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FREE END OF SAID FIRSTLEVER, SAID LEVER ENGAGING MEANS COMPRISING A CIRCULAR GROOVE DEFINED INTHE PERIPHERY OF SAID STEM, SAID FIRST LEVER BEING JUXTAPOSED TO SAIDFIRST LEVER ENGAGING MEANS WITH ITS FREE END ABUTTING SAID FIRST LEVERENGAGING MEANS, A SECOND LEVER HAVING A FREE END, SECOND LEVER ENGAGINGMEANS DEFINED ON SAID STEM FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND LEVER, SAIDSECOND LEVER BEING JUXTAPOSED TO SAID SECOND LEVER ENGAGING MEANS, WITHITS FREE END ABUTTING SAID SECOND LEVER ENGAGING MEANS, CLUTCH MEANSMOUNTED ON SAID STEM FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HAND SETTING MECHANISM,SAID SECOND LEVER ENGAGING MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAIDCLUTCH MEANS, AND A DATE SETTING PINION MOUNTED ON THE STEM FORENGAGEMENT WITH THE DATE SETTING MECHANISM, SAID LEVERS DEFINING MEASFOR MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT, WHEREBY THE ADJUSTABLE MECHANISM MAY BE ADJUSTEDTO ITS WINDING POSITION BY LONGITUDINALLY POSITIONING THE STEM SO THATTHE WINDING PINION IS ENGAGED WITH THE DRIVE MECHANISM, THE CLUTCH MEANSIS UNENGAGED WITH THE HAND SETTING MECHANISM AND THE DATE SETTING PINIONIS UNENGAGED WITH THE DATE SETTING MECHANISM, THE ADJUSTABLE MECHANISMMAY BE ADJUSTED TO ITS HAND SETTING POSITION BY LONGITUDINALLYPOSITIONING THE STEM SO THAT THE FIRST AND SECOND LEVERS MUTUALLY ENGAGEAND SAID SECOND LEVER IS URGED BY SAID FIRST LEVER TO ABUT AGAINST SAIDCLUTCH MEANS AND SAID CLUTCH MEANS THEREBY IS URGED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITHSAID HAND SETTING MECHANISM, THE WINDING PINION IS DISENGAGED FROM THEDRIVE MECHANISM AND THE DATE SETTING PINION REMAINS UNENGAGED WITH THEDATE SETTING MECHANISM, AND THE ADJUSTABLE MECHANISM MAY BE ADJUSTED TOITS DATE SETTING POSITION BY LONGITUDINALLY POSITIONING THE STEM SO THATTHE ABUTTING RELATION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND LEVERS IS CHANGED TODISENGAGE THE HAND SETTING PINION FROM THE HAND SETTING MECHANISM, THEDATE SETTING PINION IS ENGAGED WITH THE DATE SETTING MECHANISM AND THEWINDING PINION REMAINS UNENGAGED WITH THE WINDING MECHANISM.